Euzhan Palcy

The first black female director produced by a major Hollywood studio (MGM).

The only woman who directed Marlon Brando.

The first black director who directed an actor to an Oscar nomination (tied with Spike).

The first female and the first black director who won a Cesar Award (French Oscar).

The only black director & only woman filmmaker who managed to direct an anti-apartheid narrative feature film during Nelson Mandela’s prison sentence.

Born in Martinique, Euzhan Palcy is a film director, writer and producer. In 1983, she directedSUGAR CANE ALLEY (Rue Cases Negres) putting the French West Indies on the worldcinema stage. This critically acclaimed movie went on to win the prestigious Cesar award (FrenchAcademy Award) for best first film making Euzhan Palcy the first black person (male or female) to be granted this prestigious award. SUGAR CANE ALLEY won more than 17 international awardsincluding the Silver Lion and Best Actress awards at the Venice Film Festival.

Euzhan Palcy successfully brought back Marlon Brando to cinema screens with the anti-apartheidfilm, A DRY WHITE SEASON. She travelled to South Africa defying the special section of theapartheid regime with the help of Dr. Nthato Motlana, President Nelson Mandela’s personalphysician and friend, who smuggled her into Soweto undercover. She received the OrsonWelles award for this film in Los Angeles in 1989. After his historic release from RobbenIsland in 1990, the newly elected President Mandela watched the film and invited her to SouthAfrica in 1995 (during the first anniversary of his election). Therefore, she directed and producedthe never before seen interview titled MY CHAT WITH PRESIDENT NELSON MANDELA.

Euzhan wanted A Dry White Season to be “Cinema Verité” — that is to reflect the truth —at all costs. She was so passionate about creating an accurate portrayal that she traveledto Soweto undercover to research the riots. With a false cover of a recording artist lookingfor singers for her new album she was secretly interviewing victims of the apartheid regimethus eluding the South African secret services.

The regime felt particularly threatened at this time and had stepped up it’s actions againstthe opposition. A Dry White Season was finally released in September, 1989. South Africa banned it,enraged by the truths exposed of what they were actually doing to the people who opposedthem. MGM had to continue engaging the two bodyguards to protect Euzhan Palcythroughout the promotion of the film.

In 1992, she wrote and directed the musical fantasy film SIMEON with Kassav, theGodfathers of Zouk music and premiered the Caribbean Musical Fantasy genre. Technically,SIMEON was the first French movie produced with CGI VFX & digital scans. Palcy won theSilver Raven Award at the Brussels International Fantasy Film Festival competing against SamRaimi’s Evil Dead 3 & Joe Dante’s Matinée. She also won the Public award in Philadelphia. In2011, The MoMA acquired a copy of SIMEON for its permanent collection.Thereafter, she filmed the documentary trilogy AIME CESAIRE: A VOICE FOR HISTORY (1994,reissued in 2006 as AIME CESAIRE: A VOICE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY) and directed and coproduced RUBY BRIDGES (Disney, 1998). President Bill Clinton and Disney CEO MichaelEisner introduced the movie from the White House, when it first aired. THE KILLING YARD (aParamount/Showtime film) followed in 2001. The film received the American Bar Association SilverGavel Award for “Best Film About Justice”.

In 2006, she directed the French documentary PARCOURS DE DISSIDENTS (THE JOURNEYOF THE DISSIDENTS) which tells the incredible story of 5,000 young French West Indiansfighters (boys and girls) during World War II. Her struggle for their national recognition wasofficially acknowledged by former French President Nicolas Sarkozy who bestowed themFrance’s highest award: the Legion of Honor on behalf of all those courageous war veterans.In 2007, she directed the historical drama, THE BRIDES OF BOURBON ISLAND, about thecolonization of the Reunion Island during the 17th century. That same year to mark theBicentennial of the 1807 Abolition of Slave Trade Act in the UK, The National Maritime Museum ofof London hosted her first retrospective.

In a poll by the BBC/British Film Institute’ citing The 100 Most Iconic Black Screen Icons of theLast 100 years, Euzhan Palcy ranked among the top three in both the female and directorscategories.

In 2011, President Sarkozy asked her to create a “short cinematic synopsis” to launch France’sNational Tribute to Aimé Césaire at the Panthéon; Cannes Film Festival paid her aTribute and The New York City’s Museum of Modern Art organized her mid-careerretrospective.Later that year, Palcy was decorated with the Officer Medal of the National Order of Merit byPresident Sarkozy.On June 1 2014, for the 70th anniversary of WWII Normandy and Provence landings,President Hollande hosted the presidential screening of PARCOURS DE DISSIDENTS(THE JOURNEY OF THE DISSIDENTS) at the Elysée Palace as a National Tribute to theDissidents. The heroes in her film received a full week of tributes at the Presidential Palace,the Invalides, the National Assembly, the Senate, the Panthéon and in Normandy.

On April 28, 2017, as part of the Freedom Day, the Republic of South Africa bestowed upon Euzhan Palcy the Order of the Companions of Oliver Reginald Tambo “for her excellent contribution to the liberation struggle by exposing South African social injustices through an international film that strengthened the revolution against apartheid”. This order is the highest honor in South Africafor a foreign dignitary.On March 8, 2018, The Telegraph included Palcy in its all-time list of 35 Women who changed the history of cinema while The International Slavery Museum of Liverpool inducted her on its Black Achiever’s Wall as part of its commemoration of the centennial of the woman’s vote.Euzhan Palcy‘s films have undoubtedly a huge impact initiating humanitarian efforts globally for causes extremely important to her core values as a filmmaker and a person.She manages her time between her humanitarian work (helping disabled or very ill young people to rebuild themselves and achieve their dreams) and the development of new European and American film projects.The Filmmaker holds the keys to the cities of New York, Atlanta, New Orleans and Sarassota, Fl.In France, she is a distinguished recipient of the French Legion of Honor for her work and social causes.A high school, a movie theater and a road bear her name.

Some Distinctions:

Officer of the National Order of the Legion of Honor (Decree 2019/01)Officer of the National Order of MeritGrand Companion of the Order of OR Tambo (South-Africa)Knight of Les Arts et des LearesMedal of the city of BordeauxGold Medal of MartiniqueCitizen of Honor of New York, New Orleans, Atlanta & Sarasoaa Fl.2018 The Telegraph (UK) 35 Women who changed the history of CinemaInductee on the Black Achievers’ Wall of the International SlaveryMuseum for the centenary of the women’s vote in the UK

2016Life Time Achievement Award of the first Positive Cinema Week of CannesThe WRAP: 17 Women Who Revolutionized HollywoodFrom Mary Pickford to Oprah Winfrey, here are some of the most influentialwomen in Hollywood. Euzhan Palcy is one of the five living women listed.

2015 Tribute to Euzhan Palcy by the American Cinematheque2013 Unveiling of the Euzhan Palcy Road2013 Henri Langlois World Cinema Honor Award2013 First woman President of the Fespaco2011 ELLE.fr magazine’s 17 Most Influential Women of the Planet2011 Euzhan Palcy RetrospecOve at New York City’s Museum of Modern Art2011 Cannes Film FesOval Pays Tribute to Euzhan Palcy2010 The Most Powerful Black Women in Europe2007 #3 to the BBC/BFI poll: “The All-Time Black Screen Icons”1998 Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame1994 John Guggenheim Fellowship for Creative Arts1989 People magazine’s 10 Most Inspiring Women1989 First black female director produced by a major Hollywood studio1984 First female and first black director winner of a French Oscar.1983 First black winner of the Venice Film Festival Silver Lion

Filmography:

2015 My Chat with President Mandela

2014 Saving Nadine (Humanitarian rescue)

2011 Aime Cesaire “short cinematic synopsis” for the France’s National Tribute to Aimé Césaire at the Pantheon *

2010 The Journey of the Dissidents & WWII French West-Indian Maquisards DVD collector 8h30 of video

2008 Cesaire/Senghor: l’Ami fondamental

2007 The Brides of Bourbon Island

2006 The Journey of the Dissidents (Hosted by President Hollande of France in 2014)*

2001 The Killing Yard

1998 Ruby Bridges (premiered by President Clinton)

1994 Aimé Césaire: a Voice for History /Aime Cesaire A Voice for the XXI Century

1992 Siméon

1990 Hassane: segment of “How are the Kids” A UNICEF & Red Cross sponsored six-films anthology produced for the signature of the UN convention for the rights of children (with Jerry LewisJ

1989 A Dry White Season*

1983 Sugar Cane Alley

1982 The Devil’s Workshop

1975 The Messenger

* A Dry White Season was screened by President Mandela. He then invited Euzhan Palcy to visit him for a week in South Africa / Ruby Bridges was introduced by President Clinton on ABC from the White House

An excerpt of Aime Cesaire: a Voice for the 21st Centuryintroduced President Sarkozy’s eulogy for the NaOonal Tribute of France to Aime Cesaire at the Panthéon & The Toussaint Louverture Award by Unesco /

*The Journey of the Dissidents was hosted by French President Hollande at the Elysee Palace for the celebraOon of the 70th anniversary of the Normandy and Provence WWII Landings.

AIME CESAIRE: A VOICE FOR HISTORY1997 National Black Programming Award of Excellence

Presidential & Governmental Appointments

2013 -2015 Appointed by French President François Hollande, member of the National Committee for the Memory & History of Slavery (CNMHE)2011-2013 Appointed Chair & Member of the advisoring committee of the Martinique Film Fund at its inception1992 -1995 Appointed by French President Miaerrand, member of the High Committee for the housing of disadvantaged people at its inception1992 Appointed by French President Miaerrand, Member of the High Council of Francophonie at its inception